Review: SIRT AR-Bolt

Not too long ago I had a package show up here at the Gunmart Blog Test Kitchen from the good people over at Next Level Training. Inside of said package was one of the coolest training accessories available for the AR-15 rifle… the SIRT AR-Bolt.

The SIRT AR-Bolt is a laser training device that is designed to allow you to conduct what the company calls “advanced dry-fire training”. When you think about it, thats really a pretty good description of what you have going on here. With the SIRT bolt you can conduct dry-fire practice with your AR and determine point-of-impact for each shot. What Next Level Training has basically come up with here is a laser aiming devise inside of a plastic “bolt carrier replacement” – for lack of a better term. This unit pretty much slides right into the rifle as a replacement for your bolt carrier and allows you to conduct dry-fire practice that is much more productive… and waaaaaaaaay more fun!

The overall design is pretty darn ingenious. It takes a very different approach to laser training devices than what other companies have come up with. With the SIRT AR-Bolt, you have a product that directly interacts with your fire control mechanism to activate the laser aiming device. As a result of this unique design, your trigger is able to auto-reset which enables you to be able to fire multiple shots without having to reset the trigger each time. That makes this the only product of its kind that I know of which enables you to be able to do this. The end result is a complete change in the overall dynamic of dry-fire training.

Instillation

Ok… if you are a regular reader of the blog you will know that I have often scoffed at the idea of reading the directions that come with things. I believe my exact words have often times been “I’m male. I don’t use directions”… or something to that effect. Well, let me say right here and now that YOU NEED TO READ THE DIRECTIONS. Are we clear?

The first time setting this product up is complicated. Its not impossible, and the directions do a good job of explaining it, but it is indeed complicated. You need to read the directions FIRST. You will also need to fine-tune the devise to work with your particular rifle, so its important to understand the directions about how to actually do that and how not to damage the device. Once again, its not impossible but it is complicated. I will also point out that the videos on the company’s website are also a very big help. Being able to actually see someone else install this device and set it up was a great help for me personally.

With all of that being said, once you get past the learning curve and learn how to install the SIRT AR-Bolt it can be done very easily and in well under a minute. I dont want you to be intimidated by this at all. Essentially you are just removing your charging handle and bolt and installing the “trigger bar” and “housing” to interact with your trigger group. Then just slide the laser into where the bolt would normally be. Its simple and very easy to repeat once learned.

Performance

Ok… so lets go ahead and let the rubber hit the road with this product. The SIRT AR-Bolt is an absolutely spectacular product. It does everything they say its does and it does it very well.

I have talked about using laser training devises in the past here on the blog, but up until this point nothing has accomplished the concept of training with lasers as completely as the SIRT AR-Bolt has done. The biggest factor is the bolt’s ability to allow you to take multiple shots on target without having to reset the trigger. That really opens up an entirely new world of possibilities with regard to how productive your training can be. I really like laser trainers in general, but the SIRT AR-Bolt is on a whole different level of usefulness.

Probably one of the best things about laser trainers is the fact that they completely and totally remove all the excuses for not practicing. Rainy day, lack of ammo, shooting range limitations… well, throw all those things out the window and go have a hundred round workout with this thing. The SIRT AR-Bolt is a great way to take routine and mundane dry fire practice and turn it into something that is much more fun and productive.

Another great advantage of this product… and working with laser trainers in general… is that it is a 100% safe way to practice and teach with firearms. There is zero, repeat zero possibility of anyone getting accidentally shot with the guns being handled. Thats because 1) there is no live ammunition being used, and 2) there is absolutely, positively no way for the gun to even chamber or fire a round of ammunition since the entire bolt carrier group has been completely removed from the gun. Once the SIRT AR-Bolt is installed the gun has essentially been rendered inoperable. Couple this with the fact that both the red and green versions of the lasers in the SIRT AR-Bolt are 100% safe to the eyes it opens things up even further…. force-on-force training scenarios immediately come to my mind.

This is also a tool that makes shooting much more approachable for new shooters. Yes, in my opinion, this may be the best way to introduce new or novice shooters to the basics of safe gun handling and proper marksmanship. There is no loud noise or recoil to be intimidated by, it is 100% safe, and it can be done in the comfort of one’s home. Since it also gives instant feedback on shot placement, you can teach both proper gun safety as well as work to improve marksmanship.

Accuracy on the SIRT AR-Bolt that they sent me was wonderful. The device is fully adjustable for both windage and elevation by means of the two easily accessible adjustments in the ejection port and the magazine well. Both can be easily adjusted with the included hex wrench. I had to adjust the one that they sent me for a slight deviation in elevation but that was it. The device will also hold its zero from session to session even if it is removed from the gun. This is because of the ingeniously designed “guide-fins” that orient the SIRT AR-Bolt the exact same way in the upper each and every time.

All-in-all, this is really a spectacular product… and a great way to supplement your live fire training. There are very few things that you can’t do with this product. It has a usable range of 50 yards, and you can even practice with mags inserted into the mag well to practice things like mag changes. With an MSRP of $150, you can quickly recoup your costs in about 500 pulls of the trigger with this device installed… which will probably be after the first two or three times that you use it.

I can’t comment how long these guns will last as we only got them yedatrsey but so far they have been a big hit. Firstly they are pretty big, much bigger than I expected which makes them quite satifying to play with and hard to lose. They take 4 AA batteries each which aren’t included so make sure you are ready. Once the batteries are in they are good to go. They make good space type shooting noises, quite loud but not ridiculous. Each has 4 lights on the back of the gun, when your gun is hit, first a light flashes then with the next hit it steadies so after 8 hits all the lights are lit up and your game is over. The gun makes a noise to illustrate the fact that you are dead. You can then press the reset button and start again. The infrared seems to work pretty well and it’s good fun running about hiding from the other gunman, reminds me of laser quest from my younger days. Quite expensive but if the price drops a little then I would recommend for a Ben 10 fan.